Your narrative and culture change roundup! 📢
Happy Monday one and all,
I missed last week's newsletter, so this one is a little longer than usual, packed with all the good things happening in the world of narrative and culture change. We've even got some in person events listed for the first time in a loooong time!
This newsletter is also a little special, as it marks 2 years of In Other Words. What started as an attempt to get my open tabs in order has grown into a real labour of love, shared with over 650 others interested in narrative and culture from across the world. A big thank you for being here with me! If you ever have any ideas on how the newsletter could be improved do let me know :)
But for now, let's jump in...
Ruth x
THE LINKS
Articles, reports & podcasts.
“We will fight oppression fiercely and build joy-full liberated futures”. I love this piece by Chiara Francesca, as part of the Creative Wildfire Project.
Beyond the Easiest Cases: Creating New Narratives for Criminal Justice and Immigration Reform A fascinating report exploring different types of narratives (what the authors call incrementalistic narratives and transformative narratives) on criminal justice and immigration in the US, as well as how you build powerful alternatives. A tonne of insight in here, even if you’re working on a different issue area in a different part of the world. [Square One Justice]
Why our secret weapon against the climate crisis could be humour Much ink has been spilled (what’s the digital-age version of that saying?) on whether we should consider Don’t Look Up as a piece of climate communication genius or as a huge missed opportunity. In the last edition of In Other Words, I shared a link to a Climate Resilience Project Instagram post, which explores some of the narratives missing from the film, but this week I’m mixing it up by including this piece written by the film’s creator, Adam McKay, and climate scientist, Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. They speak about how they tried to employ humour in the film as a mechanism to build community. [The Guardian]
Paper Series: On Belonging in Europe Be sure to follow the latest publication by the Othering and Belonging Institute, which will be exploring what the concept of belonging means across Europe. Essays written by advocates, scholars and culture-makers will be released biweekly over the next few months. Things kick off with an excellent piece by Geneviève Säuberli discussing the Toolbox on Migration Narrative Change launched by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last year. [Toward Belonging]
How anarchist architecture could help us build back better after COVID I enjoyed this piece, which provides a window into how the built environment and community-held spaces can offer us opportunities to experience alternative deep narratives in the here-and-now, based on widely shared values of mutual aid. [The Conversation]
Media That Moves: Creating anti-racist representations of Gypsies and Travellers in the UK media PIRC has released a new report in partnership with Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange and London Gypsies and Travellers, examining the role of the media in perpetuating negative stereotypes and narratives, and where they originate from. A great resource for anyone wanting to strengthen their media strategies! [Public Interest Research Centre]
Care Jam 2021 Teams Produce Innovative Games Exploring Care Teams who participated in Care Jam 2021 have produced 12 new game concepts which explore multi-dimensional narratives of care work and caregiving, and help to reimagine a world where care is collective, visible and valued. You can try out the prototypes games here and leave your feedback! [Pop Change]
How policy experts can use language to set the agenda Aidan Muller, from the comms consultancy Cast from Clay, hits us with some familiar lessons when it comes to the importance of framing. [Cast from clay]
What do we mean by effective storytelling? Letting go of magic bullets Brett Davidson, Narrative Lead at the International Resource for Impact and Storytelling, kicks off a new series of blog posts by exploring the multifaceted nature of ‘effectiveness’ when it comes to storytelling. [Story for Impact]
Hope, Play, Relate: Changing narratives for greater solidarity and open civic space This article offers some great practical examples of narrative interventions in action. [Development Research]
Rebecca Solnit is Not Giving Up Hope Longtime readers of In Other Words will be aware of the depths of my love for the writing of Rebecca Solnit. In this short interview, she reminds us of the very human need for “bread and roses” (a famous political slogan originating from the women’s suffrage movement, which - coincidentally - I have just had tattooed on me!) and the necessity that our work embody new narratives of hope in the here and now. [The Nation]
The Light Ahead: Stories for a Beloved Economy I’m excited to delve into this new podcast showcasing short fiction stories created by screenwriters and those leading work in the new economy movement. Each story explores what the U.S. could look like in 2030 if the economy truly worked and cared for everyone. [Beloved Economies]
A Quick Look at 4 Films that Address Systems Change Nora Bateson runs us through some of her fav films which address systemic change. (Side note: How amazing is Spotlight?) [Medium]
Changing the conversation on the economy A wonderful essay in the latest edition of the IPPR Progressive Review, by Dora Meade, Sofie Jenkinson and Ellie Mae O’Hagan, providing some initial analysis into new research on the most effective ways to communicate on the economy in the UK. [Wiley Online Library]
Making the truth stick & and myths fade: Lessons from cognitive psychology - An interesting exploration into how human beings evaluate statements, with some helpful strategies to keep in mind to ensure we avoid the pitfalls which come from myth-busting and instead create clear, compelling messages that stick. [Research Gate]
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Things for the calendar.
#Globaldev Communicators Connect Salon
#Globaldev Communicators Connect are monthly meetings, hosted by Joan Okitoi-Heisig and Jennifer Leftner, for those who wish to have honest and in-depth conversations about working within power asymmetries and global inequalities while trying to communicate about ‘doing good’. The first session of 2022 will offer space to explore different poems and their connection to narrative change.
Wednesday 9 February
3pm - 4pm UK time
RSVP and get the Zoom link by joining the Healing Solidarity Collective
Free to attend
League of Less Work
The League of Less Work is a peer-led expedition for people and organisations committed to reducing their working hours in 2022. Whether you’re a company considering a 4 day week or a freelancer chasing the elusive life/work balance, this is an opportunity to explore the practicalities and possibilities of reduced working in a purposeful micro-community. If this sounds of interest, join Enrol Yourself, LearnJam and David Heinemann for a lunchtime discussion to explore more.
Thursday 10 February
1.00pm - 2.30 GMT
Online
Tickets are £3 and will be donated to the Trussell Trust
Climate Engagement Lab - open call for innovation partnerships
Climate Outreach are offering free support to two civil society groups in the UK to better engage the public on climate change through visual media and photography, and through digital and social media. If you’re interested in applying, click the link!
Deadline to apply is 9am on Monday 14 February
Hosted by the mighty Culture Hack Labs, Rhizome is a new 12 month programme for narrative change practitioners focused on structural and cultural interventions.
The fellowship is free and will require 5-10hr of time per week over 12 months
Deadline to apply is Friday 15 February
Hosted by the mighty Culture Hack Labs, Rhizome is a new 12 month programme for narrative change practitioners focused on structural and cultural interventions.
The fellowship is free and will require 5-10hr of time per week over 12 months
Deadline to apply is Friday 15 February
CREATE Fellowships
The CREATE fellowship programme seeks to support knowledge production, art, storytelling and community ideas for change that embrace sexual and gender diversity, intersex rights, and disability intersections and connections. If you are, or know, an activist, artist, researcher, storyteller or community organiser engaged in these intersections, check out the link!
6 fellows to receive $8000 to develop their work over the course of 9 months
Deadline to apply is Wednesday 16 February
Migreat! Changing the Narratives on Migration - Exploring Creative Approaches
A participatory workshop-based conference exploring creative methods (theatre and video-making) to develop alternative migration narratives.
Saturday 5 March
10am - 4.30pm GMT
King’s College London Waterloo Campus
Free
Values 101: Growing public demand for change
Join me and my colleagues at the Common Cause Foundation on this 5 week workshop series to explore human values and how they can be engaged to generate broader and deeper commitment to pro-social and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours.
5 x 2 hr weekly sessions throughout May
Tickets priced on a sliding scale from free to £225
Zoom
The Power to Create: Pop Culture & Narrative Change
Originally scheduled for January, this event has been postponed to 27 May, so you still have time to sign up! Hear from speakers who are driving social change through harnessing the power of pop culture and in particular, TV/film, gaming and comedy.
Friday 27 May
6pm - 8pm GMT
Southbank Centre, London
Free - tickets can be found here
Words to Live By
Clever people saying clever things.